







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | |
| It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | |
| Sh*t! I can't believe it's already 10:30! | |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | |
| Is that you, Mike? | |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | |
| Okay, that's fine. | |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | |